From Ezekiel 31-33

Ezekiel is given back his voice and the people come to hear him. They think they are entitled to the land of Israel and want it back. They like hearing what Ezekiel says, but they have no intention of responding appropriately.

This post is part of my bible in a year series.

Passage and Comments

Today’s chapter is the start of a new stage in Ezekiel’s ministry. He is working from Babylon with Judah who are in exile. Our passage is one part of a loose chiasm forming the whole of chapter 33.

• Ezekiel’s ministry in Babylon (vv. 1–9; cf. 3:16–21)
  • Ezekiel warns of judgment (vv. 10–20)
    • Ezekiel receives news of the city’s fall (vv. 21–22)
  • Ezekiel warns of judgment (vv. 23–29)
• Ezekiel’s ministry in Babylon (vv. 30–33; cf. 3:22–27)

We start from the center.

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.” 22 Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute. (Eze 33.21-22)

Jerusalem has been struck down. This news was hardly unexpected, however it would have been painful to hear.

Ezekiel has been given back the power of his speech that was taken away early on in Eze 3.26-27. Until now, Ezekiel only spoke when the LORD opened his mouth.

23 The word of the LORD came to me: 24 “Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’

25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land?

26 You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife; shall you then possess the land? (Eze 33.23-26)

The people in Babylon compare themselves to Abraham and give reason for why they should possess the land. The land they just got kicked out of.

They believe they have a greater entitlement to the promised land than Abraham did because they are more numerous.

It was because of the LORD’s grace to Abraham that he was promised the land in the first case. They have even less reason to be given the land because of their sin.

27 Say this to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence.

28 And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through. 29 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed. (Eze 33.27-29)

There will be no escape to the LORD’s judgment. Wherever they are the punishment will catch up with them.

He promises to make the land of Israel a desolation and a wasteland. Why? Because of all their abominations. Their actions have cursed the land.

30 “As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’

31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain.

32 And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.

33 When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (Eze 33.30-33)

The people come to Ezekiel and seem to want to hear what the LORD says through him. But it is only pretense.

They have no intention of doing what the LORD says or repenting of their sins.

All the LORD’s judgments will come down upon them, and then they will know Ezekiel was his prophet and they should have listened.

Story of Israel

“The prophet is fighting on two pastoral fronts. On the one hand he has to counter despair and demoralization among the exiles; on the other, he has to do it in such a way as not to encourage moral indifference and a false sense of security. The complexity of his message is occasioned not only by his pastoral situation but also by a traditional tension in Yahweh’s self-revelation, … that he is both gracious savior and moral judge” (Allen) (Goldingay, J.A., 2003. Ezekiel. In J. D. G. Dunn & J. W. Rogerson, eds. Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, p. 653.)

Story of Jesus

The people came to hear Ezekiel because they enjoyed his words, but they had no intention of listening to his message. In the gospel we are warned of treating Jesus in the same way.

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Mt 7.24-27)

How do you respond to Jesus’ words?

Copyright © Joshua Washington and thescripturesays, 2016. All Rights Reserved.